What a Feeling

My first year teachingSomething a little different from me today. I've had lots of people speak to me on twitter or comment on the blog in the last 9 months or so (since I set up the blog) about how my first year teaching has been. So I thought I'd do a wee blog post talking about my experiences teaching to both answer these questions and do some reflection myself. If you've recently been through a PGCE or been to a teacher training course, you will have had the word 'reflection' drummed into you - I thought this would be a good way to put theory into practice!So I decided to do my PGCE after about six months or so of working in an admin job and to be honest I wasn't entirely sure what direction I wanted to go. I suppose, like many people, I just fell into teaching. I knew I wanted to do something with my degree (BSc (Econ) Sociology) and sociology related, but didn't want to go into social research. Before my Mum retired she was an academic/research fellow, and from seeing what she did I knew I wasn't self disciplined enough to do the same. So teaching seemed to be a worthwhile option to explore. Anyway, long story short, I applied for a PGCE (PCET) (this is a PGCE for teaching in a post-compulsory education environment) in Cardiff and was accepted. Joy! I was lucky enough to get my course fees (£3000 and something) covered by a teacher training grant of about £4000, which I believe has been cut for the current cohort unless you are training to teach Maths, English or Science. This was the deal breaker for me; I wouldn't have been able to afford the fees without the grant so I took this as a sign and cast any doubts over whether this was the right decision from my mind. I have to say, completing a PGCE was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. Not so much in terms of academic ability, although that was put to the test, but in terms of hard work and time spent working in and out of Uni. After three incredibly intense months of lectures, mock lessons and assessment I was sent out to an FE college in South Wales for a six month placement. Cue much more hard work, long evenings and tears shed over lesson plans. Fast forward seven months, I had completed my PGCE with distinction and escaped to Malaysia and Indonesia for a month of chilling. Phew!(if you've got this far, i'm impressed!!)About three months into my placement (around March time) I started to apply for teaching jobs. As any teacher/PGCE student will know, applying for teaching jobs is an absolute bloody pain. You usually have to complete a lengthy application for each institution/job rather than sending a CV and covering letter, so the process takes forever and the pressure really is on to get it right. I can't even remember how many jobs I applied for now, but in total I was invited to three interview days (they really do last the whole day, so so intense) and was offered a job on my third interview. This interview was in fact in the college I used to attend, so the whole process of going back and being interviewed by my ex-teachers was very strange, but I was absolutely thrilled when I was offered the job. In fact I was so relieved I cried. A lot. Most people assume that when you do a PGCE or teacher training course you will just fall into a job somewhere along the line. Anyone who has actually gone through that process knows that is not the case - far from it! There are lots of great teachers who did my course who still haven't been able to get a teaching job, and I really really feel for them. There are just so many NQTs out there now, and so few jobs, the competition is tough. So come September last year, I began my first year teaching at a sixth form college in Hampshire. The college is not attached to a school and is pretty big; teaching students from 16-19. I applied for a part-time sociology teaching post, and have to say it is the best thing I've ever done. Aside from the obvious of having a lower salary, being part time was absolutely perfect. I had two days off in the week, which was so helpful - these were spent prepping and planning, but I also got another job for 1 day a week which helped supplement my (low) income. Now, I think schools/colleges get a good deal from employing part-time staff; I spent almost every evening, day off and part of my weekend lesson planning, marking and researching around the subject. Now I know this is indicative of your first year teaching, but I know many part-time teachers that put in well over their contracted hours. If you are thinking of going into teaching, or have just completed a PGCE, I would fully recommend starting your teaching career part-time. It really eases the pressure and means you are able to get through that tough first year without having a breakdown or wondering why you went into teaching. I still did a hell of a lot of work, and as I said, worked most of my 'time off', but having just that little bit less than a full timetable (I was 0.5) eases the pressure. Obviously, money is a big issue and I was lucky enough (!!) to be able to live at home so income wasn't a huge pressure. I have also been told I am set to be full-time next year, depending on student numbers, which is the perfect outcome. So, all in all, my first year teaching has been a success! I received brilliant feedback in my appraisal and am looking forward to going full-time. I know for many others the first year can be an absolute nightmare, and I have had moments of thinking 'why have I done this' and 'what I would give for a 9-5 job' but on the whole am so glad I've gone into teaching. The students I teach are (mostly!) great, and I just love teaching something I find so interesting. Now... what to do over the next six weeks! The joy of teacher holidays!